13-foot-long crocodile ‘lunged’ at resident and evaded capture — until now. See it

Aspen Pflughoeft
·2 min read
8

A large crocodile was captured in Australia after it “lunged” at a resident and behaved “aggressively,” according to wildlife officials. A video shows the dangerous reptile.

The resident of a houseboat in Cardwell reported the large crocodile to wildlife officials in April after the animal “lunged” at them, the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said in a May 14 news release.

The roughly 13-foot-long crocodile “was also reported to have taken a dog” and was generally “behaving aggressively around boats,” officials said.

Wildlife officials decided to remove the dangerous animal from the area and set up a baited trap, the department said. The trap, however, initially captured a different 10-foot-long crocodile. Officials removed the smaller crocodile and tried again.

This time, the plan worked, the department said. Officials captured the 13-foot-long crocodile May 13.

A wildlife official stands on the baited trap with the 13-foot-long crocodile caught inside.
A wildlife official stands on the baited trap with the 13-foot-long crocodile caught inside.

Video footage shared on YouTube by The Guardian shows the massive reptile inside the trap. Another clip shows the crocodile fighting back, thrashing and rolling around. Ropes tied around its mouth prevent it from escaping.

“We believe the (two crocodiles) entered the marina because they could smell baited crab pots, or were being deliberately or inadvertently fed by people discarding fish frames in the area,” Ella Meeve, a wildlife officer with the department, said in the release.

The 13-foot-long crocodile was taken to a temporary holding facility but will eventually be moved to a farm or zoo where it will be used for “educational purposes about crocodile conservation and their ecology,” Meeve said.

Wildlife officials captured the 13-foot-long crocodile in a marina of Cardwell.
Wildlife officials captured the 13-foot-long crocodile in a marina of Cardwell.

Australia’s saltwater crocodiles are “the largest reptile on the planet,” with males reaching over 23 feet in length and weighing over 2,200 pounds, according to Oceana.

Officials warned residents of Cardwell to stay alert to the dangers of crocodiles.

Cardwell, Queensland, is a region along Australia’s northeastern coast and a roughly 1,400-mile drive northwest from Sydney.

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